From bed sheets to denim jeans, woven materials surround us. To explore the dynamic interplay of warp and weft in woven fabrics, students in Larissa Shepherd’s Structural Fabric Design (FSAD 2370) course practice stitch patterns ranging from basic to complex using pocket looms, the dobby loom and the TC2 electronic jacquard loom.

“I believe the best learning happens through doing,” said Shepherd, assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design (HCD). “In my class, students don’t just learn how fabrics are made — they actually experience the process themselves.”

By working hands-on, students discover how each loom influences the design and complexity of woven fabric, along with its technical limitations and creative possibilities. They also work at similar scales to better understand knitwear construction and manufacturing.

Posted on
10/28/2025
Author
Marisa LaFalce
Tags
Technology + Human Thriving, Student Life
A student weaves on the dobby loom as Prof. Shepherd and classmates look on.

A student weaves on the dobby loom as Larissa Shepherd, assistant professor in the Department of Human Centered Design and classmates look on. Photo by Marisa LaFalce.

A student works on a hand loom

A student works on a pocket loom in Structural Fabric Design (FSAD 2370). Photo by Marisa LaFalce.

woman weaving on a dobby loom

A student learns to weave on a dobby loom. Photo by Marisa LaFalce.

Video thumbnail of weaving on TC2
Cornell woven on a loom

A woven Cornell tapestry made on the TC2 Digital Jacquard Loom. Photo by Marisa LaFalce.

Integrated curriculum builds responsive professionals

Structural Fabric Design is an advanced fiber science course that is required for fiber science, fashion design and fashion design management majors.

“Knowing the materials is really critical whether you’re a designer, buyer or textile engineer,” said Fran Kozen, senior lecturer in HCD and director of undergraduate studies for the fashion and fiber majors. “You need to understand how these textiles originated, are manufactured and treated because that impacts design, use, performance expectations and lifecycle.”

Programs in HCD require students to take courses in several focus areas to ensure that graduates possess both the knowledge and the experience to holistically understand the fashion industry and adapt to its rapid changes.

“Our fashion design management majors learn the business of fashion by taking classes in product quality assurance and product development,” said Kozen. “What they realize when they graduate is what an advantage it is to understand the product — what it’s made of, how it’s made, and some of the decisions behind the aesthetics. It gives a broader picture, to understand both the industry better and to work with the products better.”

Real companies, real experience

Shepherd, like many HCD faculty, believes that industry engagement enhances learning. She’s cultivated a partnership with Cortland Biomedical, a manufacturer at the forefront of medical textile innovation. Later this semester, representatives will visit the class for a seminar, followed by a class field trip to their company’s clean room facility.

“At Cortland Biomedical, students see how industrial weaving, knitting and braiding technologies are used to create materials that can actually go inside the human body,” said Shepherd. “This combination of creative exploration, technical skill and industry experience helps students understand not just how textiles are made, but also why they matter, and what exciting futures are possible in this field.”

Larissa Shepherd teaches knitting thru a human knit machine

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close up of purple knitted fabric